I forgot to mention Luke and Mara's DAUGHTER in the past chapter. She's named after Ani's mom, of course. It was one of the things my friends and I talked about, whether I should include their child or not. One conflict was they have Ben Skywalker in the Legends universe, but here Leia and Han have Ben Solo. My man suggested that while Ben is named for the man responsible for bringing his parents together in the OT and ST (original and sequel trilogies), he said why not name Luke and Mara's kid after the woman who birthed the greatest pod racer in the universe? ;D

I wonder where Obi-Wan got his cover name "Ben" from. Call me an idiot, but can anyone tell me? (puppy eyes)

Chapter Nine

Breaking Point

I've really done it this time. I'm sitting in a tower of transparisteel, surrounded by natural and manmade starlight; I'm in a whole different world from the one I lived. First unforgiving and dangerous desert, then comfortable and peaceful nature and stone - now it's a visit to sparkling industry.

It was all a word she never wanted to use: magic.

Just smiling at him and him smiling back made her insides dance like butterflies. And the way he looked her over - it was as though bubbles had been blown and floated through her toes and up to her brain. She was up in the air, her weight getting smaller and smaller, and this was NOT how an assistant was supposed to feel towards her boss especially over dinner. Because in the morning, she'd kick herself for being carried off like this.

But just right now, she absorbed the moment. Ben just wouldn't let her resist him, not when he entertained her with his stories of adventure in places like watery Naboo - both of us are native because our grandmothers were born there - and the lush forests of Takodana in the southern continent of D'Qar, each with interesting characters crossing his way. Each tale told, her bewitchery progressed.

It seemed nothing existed except the two of them.

She took everything in: the way Ben gracefully handled the utensils, the goofy curve of his smile and shine of those perfect white teeth, as if this were their own little world.

And unfortunately, dinner would come to an end just like all fantasies. As soon as they took the elevator back down to the earth they stood on, Rey had just a few moments to enjoy what had transpired in that tower which reached the heavens, only to notice that Ben was smiling at her as if he liked what he was seeing.

Here they discovered what took place at night in Coruscant: neon-colored lights and skimpily-clad females of human and other alien-like species. But she and Ben were making way back to the Luxury 3000, the magic of dinner still haunting their steps. "I...thank you for tonight." For once, she was really at a loss for words. She just about considered asking her grandmother on how to do just that, but doubted speech would do it justice.

"Well, I couldn't just bring you to Coruscant and let you see only the interior of a yacht, could I?"

"But still, just the restaurant, the dress -" It was then that she realized, in horror, that she'd been so lost in her transformation that she'd forgotten to do what she swore to. "Damn it, I forgot to pay for the dress!"

He laughed. "Don't worry about that. I told Driina to charge it all to the room. I had an intuition you'd forget to." I'm really that predictable, aren't I?

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Rey told him.

Ben shrugged. "You're right, but this whole night was well-deserved. Mostly because I wanted to." It was then that he reached for her, and the back of his fingers made contact with her cheek, softly brushing against it. A jolt made its way from there and down to her toes - oh, damn, and a certain part that she was afraid would react. Two of them. "And I have something else to show you tonight."

~o~

He promised her a night she wouldn't forget, and he delivered. It was in the form of the opportunity of taking her to see the Room of a Thousand Fountains, as this was coincidentally the reopening night as it had been undergoing some renovations. What better chance than here and now?

"I don't think I'm going to feel my feet for one week," Rey joked when it was all over and they were walking through the corridor to her suite. He assured her that a soak in the tub would make her good as new, since he could use one himself.

Being in the Room of a Thousand Fountains was serene and ethereal, escaping from the bustling and hustling. This northwestern greenhouse was well at seven stories, and from how it was often hidden from first sight upon entrance - just like a secret garden - it was no wonder it was one of the old temple's major points. To first enter, you took a passage through two great doors of wood and found yourself on a winding path of soil and stones, coming across small bridges and streams...and what was magical was that you never knew where the water was coming from.

This place was for meditation, oftentimes lightsaber practice, and now it's solely a getaway and social gathering. Those benches lining the pathways, the waterfalls and fountains not made by man like Naboo's main square - except a few brilliantly bestowed in the centers of passageways. Those exotic flowers joined with assari trees and marsh bamboo, along with the overhead rafters bearing canvases to give lighting very similarly to the outdoors. All artificial but so real...a dream you never want to end.

Just when night grew late, the winds picked up. When they left the indoor, manufactured paradise, Ben shielded his "date" from the cold rush, keeping her right in his arms - and noticing the look on her face: was he imagining it, or was she sorry tonight was coming to an end? Was she worried she'd never experience anything like this again?

"I know I've said this before, but thank you again. I can't explain how incredible it was," she said when they were in front of the door to her rooms.

"You don't have to keep thanking me. It was all a pleasure of mine." He brushed aside a lock of her hair when it flew into her face, tucking it behind her ear. They smiled at each other now. She then turned and pressed the code to the room, the door sliding upwards for her. Part of Ben hoped she'd invite him in for just another drink and then he'd leave her, but she somewhat disappointed him. Of course she'd be willing to go back to business after everything.

"What time would you like to leave tomorrow?"

"Back to work so soon, Miss Kenobi?"

"Wouldn't want to delay any longer than it already has been, right? I know you need to get back, and Anakin no doubt is irritated that he's been kept waiting." He chuckled; so that was it. She wanted to spare him from the old man's wrath. Well, that was nothing he couldn't handle.

Whether tomorrow morning or in the evening, Grandfather will receive the news about Cos Palpatine. "It's not like 3PO and R2's bantering isn't keeping him occupied, or his children," Ben told her, making her laugh. Moments like these were just what he looked forward to when he needed it, and it pleased him that she seemed to enjoy the joking with him.

"Well, then, I should let you go. You delivered THE Coruscant experience." Even if she would have settled for a nerf burger or something similar. She shrugged off his jacket from her shoulders; he'd given it to her for the walk back, but he halted her, doing the honors of removing it, his fingers brushing against her skin albeit briefly.

"You're really an original, Miss Kenobi, you know that? You expect nothing, not even dreams or ridiculous extravagance - and why is that?"

"...because I have everything I really need." Despite the earnestness, she sounded like something had caught in her throat. If only he could inquire more.

He finally got his jacket from her, his fingers much warmer from simply touching her. "I think you do deserve more." And I mean it.

Rey raised a curious brow. "Like what?"

Exactly as he intended to promise, no matter what: everything.

"May I give you a quick kiss goodnight?"

He had to ask her in case it made her uncomfortable when he didn't get her permission. Nothing heated, but soft and gentle to leave an impression. Her eyes got so wide he thought they'd pop out of her skull, which made her look so adorable and irresistible. "Um, sure -" She didn't have to say anymore.

Ben leaned down and left a gentle peck on her cheek, the heat of her skin leaving a tingle in his lips. She stayed right where she was, physically petrified. "And a good night to you, Miss Kenobi."

~o~

He'd kissed her on the cheek after she unwittingly said yes with a stunted brain; she reached to touch that still-itching spot after he was gone. Even now she could still FEEL it.

When neither she nor Ben brought up last night, it just meant business as usual, not that she wasn't surprised. Small talk was also involved during the readying of the Grimtaash for its flight back to Alderaan, after saying farewell to Ahsoka Tano who insisted they give her wishes to "Sky Guy". Smiling together, Rey and Ben could not refuse her wish.

And just as soon as they boarded, work barricaded them both.

Here she sat next to him in the cockpit once again, choosing now to go over the datapad plans. They were mostly in comfortable silence, though part of her wished there was more chatting. She was ticked that her thoughts had to wander the way they did. Knowing too well where they would take her to, it made her recall all the times her mother found a potential new man.

I'm...I think I'm doing just what I swore I never would. Too much wine and candlelight - it made me forget real life. Damn it, I still remember the tingle of Ben's kiss on my cheek; now it's in my chest. Mom, I think I understand more now as to why and how it's easy for a woman to get swept in stupid romantic fantasies. Last night, I felt like I was flying. It's so addicting, but when the effect wears off, it's a terrible, painful crash. It's a dream you want so much to relive every day, over and over again.

And here I am, back to being just plain and simple Rey Kenobi. But I...I wish I could trade my soul just for last night once more.

~o~

Ben wondered for the life of him why she insisted on accompanying him when she could have just headed home to rest and he spoke with his grandfather. No doubt Anakin would expect her tomorrow, but it was just like her to just check up and see what she missed. Hopefully, the old man wouldn't insist on this meeting for long enough. Because Ben could use a break at his little place across the lake. Inhale the air, lay in the grass, or just busy himself in his adjoined garage.

Anything but replay last night which was all but a holovid that he couldn't wash from his mind.

Every taste...every aroma...every caress.

What the blasted hell was he thinking in telling her she deserved everything? It sounded like silly nonsense to his own ears! Sure, he meant it, but that was besides the point. He'd gotten to the point where he forgot his own rule, in terms of that structured romance that foolish girls craved. This was what he got, he supposed, for spending time with a sweet young lady. But at least he didn't behave firsthand like a scoundrel, like his father had been towards his mother before they ended up as they would.

Saving grace: he controlled himself from passionately kissing her and taking her into the bed for the rest of the night.

A cold shower was just what he needed to send that feeling away. It made him wish that he could just get rid of it just like that. He wasn't sure if he could take a peck on her lips if her cheek riled him that much. It was bad enough that he wound up close enough to her body and inhaled her fruit-and-nature odor. Perhaps that casual nerf burger should have been more ideal, after all.

Just taking her in as they returned home, arriving at the mechanic shop in the Spacer Quarter, she was back to being reserved and efficient, clad in ivory gauze joined with dull sand colored like the beach shore when the water washed over. Seeing her that way made him tempted to reach and shake her a little if only to get a different reaction.

By this time, it was close enough for the start of his grandfather's program. The smirk Rey gave him, if not being a full one, was enough to boil his blood yet again. "He might make an exception for interruption just for his favorite grandson." Only if hell froze over while we were in the air. That joke made her smile wider, making him wish there was more just like the ones she gave him last night. Why couldn't he just let it go? Last time he checked, giving a kiss to your assistant - even if it were just on the cheek - wasn't in the job description. The worst to happen was that she'd call him out.

However, as soon as they were inside, the commotion caused the hairs to prickle behind his neck as he sure as hell sensed the cold from his companion: R2's frantic beeps and squeals along with 3PO shouting. "Oh, just call the blasted hospital, you bucket of grease! Master Anakin, just hold on - oh, gracious, Master Ben and Mistress Rey! You've come back!"

He was standing over his creator who lay right behind his desk, and upon an inspection around, his legs were bent at an embarrassing angle. The sight made Ben's stomach shrink painfully. And upon seeing both his grandson and assistant, Anakin tried sitting up only to fall back down again with a grunt. This was enough for Ben to rush to his side, Rey hurrying to join R2 so that she could contact the rest of the family...Mother, Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara, and cousin Shmi.

"What happened?!" Ben demanded of the old man he helped partially sit up, the other's head resting on his shoulder while he grimaced.

"I felt - dizzy. I tried to get up so I could lie down, and next thing I know, here you find me." Anakin attempted to make light of this with a laugh, only to cough and close his mouth to keep it in. When he calmed down, he rasped, "My damned chest hurts. I think I'm..."

Grandfather is having a heart attack!

Rey's voice was above their heads, right after she shouted at the protocol droid to calm down now that an emergency ship was on its way. "Everything's taken care of. I think it'll be fine." She tried to smile, though Ben could see it in her eyes that she was just as worried as he was. If they hadn't come sooner, who knew what would have happened or how long Anakin would have laid here. She knelt down beside him and put her hand on his shoulder, giving him all the comfort he needed. It lasted only a few moments until Ben looked into the old man's vivid blue eyes which were glimmering with moisture.

His throat tightened, feeling like he was ten years ago when he had his belongings packed and ready to go, unable to take the tension at home which was within himself. Not only did his mother say she loved him no matter what, but Anakin told him that he was still his grandson and would never give up on him, either. "Don't worry. I'm here for you, Grandfather," was all Ben Solo could say, his vision now blurring like it did as a young boy when his father died right in front of him.

~o~

He's GOT to be okay. This place is equipped with the best up-to-date facilities and can care for every species on the planet. Anakin...he can't die yet; he just can't!

Luke Skywalker and his family were still on their way - damn the flight from Bespin to here - but here she was with his sister and nephew as they waited for Dr. Abrax, who had been the Skywalker family physician for many years. He'd arrived in time to take his patient's tests and had been examining him all afternoon with no word ever since. The wait was excruciating.

This was when Rey met Leia Skywalker-Solo once again.

This was a beautiful woman, though you definitely saw the signs of her true age: the graying brunette hair in a braided crown across her skull. The slight stretching of her mouth. Despite that, no signs of slowing down in life or her career as a Senator. If only the same could be said in terms of her features which were weary but shell-shocked in the eyes. And while sitting down in the corridor outside the emergency room of the Aldera Universal Medcenter, the visible physical sign was the gripping of the knees of her yoked but flattering army-green tunic which nearly touched the floor. At one point, she minorly changed position in the form of releasing her garment to finger the wedding ring she still wore even after her husband's death years ago - two enriching blue jewels like the deepest ocean wrapped in sunlit metal.

Leia was warm and welcoming towards Rey, even taking her into a hug the girl was more than happy to receive, but when she turned her attention towards her estranged son, there was sadness and relief that he was safe. Except he couldn't even make eye contact with his own mother, and there was little to nothing spoken between them. Not even while they waited for the doctor to come back.

As for Ben himself, Rey marveled at how he handled the situation despite his emotions. Even when the past few hours had been a blur, she saw him out of everything else, beginning when he accompanied his grandfather in the emergency transportation, and Rey followed right behind on her own speeder bike, telling the droids to look after the shop until all was well and to reach her if something went haywire. Going back to Ben and Leia, when the mother demanded information despite her diplomatic reserve, it was the son who took charge, making Rey see why Anakin wanted him to come back and run the family business: collected and calm, whilst keeping in mind that he was distraught on the inside. The fact he was naturally born for this made her swell in the heart.

Eventually, the rest of the Skywalker clan joined in no time. That was when Rey got to meet her boss' son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

Luke Skywalker, she admitted, was a somewhat rugged yet good-looking boyish man back in the day. Similar to his father, though Anakin's features had been sharper and bordering on feminine. Now his son was the same as back then, if his skin was jaunt, his vibrant blue eyes in sallow sockets, and his golden hair - ever in smooth fringes - was fading to gray. Despite those obvious physical signs, he was in peak condition, shown through the gray and black clothing which fitted to him nicely. The same could be said for his wife who was lovely in middle years, red-gold hair accented with gray of her own which did nothing to mar her radiance. Her eyes were as rich a green as the velvet tunic which clung to her voluptuous figure, joined by dark leather flattering her legs.

Their daughter, Shmi - eleven years Ben's junior - inherited the fair, freckled hue of her mother, along with the fiery red hair, whereas her father's eyes rested in her features. But when she looked at her cousin, her expression was a scowl. According to her Aunt Leia, she resented Ben for "running away from his own family" and wouldn't accept him again until he realized he'd been wrong to leave. They used to be tight when they were children.

And Rey still didn't know what the skeletons in the family closet were.

"Still no word?" Luke asked his sister, a frown adding more lines to his face. She shook her head, expressing her impatience and slumping back into her seat against the wall. He joined her.

"Should have at least heard something by now before we got here, but it can't be helped, can it?" Mara asked, throwing her ponytail over her shoulder and crossing her arms over her chest, back against the wall as she remained standing. Her husband smirked up at her.

"Dad said he'd go one day, but I don't think a heart attack is the answer. He always said it would take a lot more." Just like the man to keep calm and stay optimistic in the most dire of circumstances. Years and experience didn't take that from him.

While the adults exchanged, Rey focused her attention on the cousins. "Here just because Grandpa asked for you. Why am I not surprised?" Shmi asked coldly.

"You don't have to be happy that I'm here," Ben replied, unfazed. "But here I am anyway. You can save your breath until we know how he is." She stuck her tongue at him, which was funny but childish. She and Rey were nearly the same age, but the latter knew she was more mature compared to this one, from what she'd been told. Shmi was a great girl, though emotionally let her heart get the best of her at times, just like when her cousin took off years after his father died. It made Rey recall the few words and the line both of them were hesitant to cross. Leia didn't harbor resentment towards her own son, and neither did he, though -

Just watching the family made Rey wish she could do something to ease the tensions. If only her grandfather were here, or at least her grandmother.

Naboo I said before is among Core and Mid-Rim worlds in western continent of Lah'mu. Takodana, which is where Han, Rey, Finn, Chewie and BB-8 met Maz Kanata in TFA; its continent is called D'Qar, which was the Resistance base pre-attack from the First Order. Joining it are Dagobah, Kashyyyk, Endor, and Yavin, to name a few.

The name of the doctor looking after Anakin comes from the male Greek name which means "shining one".

The Aldera Universal Medcenter consists ridiculously of twelve buildings and the best equipment and care. XD It surprised me, even, that it was known for its tremendous compassion in that it never turned away patients who couldn't afford it. My God, if only life were easier that way, huh?

Now I show the whole Skywalker family together again. :D Also, Shmi looks kinda like the way Ben Skywalker did in Legends, so I decided to use that in here.

...Anakin. :'( I can imagine how scared you all were. I should have warned you, but it would have spoiled the surprise. At least he will live. :D